ETHIOPIA MILITARY ASSAILS EMPEROR

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Sept. 11 — The Military group that has continued to increase its control of Ethiopia broadcast a denunciation of Emperor Haile Selassie today and sent troops to seize the palace of his daughter.

The 82 — year — old Emperor, Who has already been stripped of much of his power, apparently also lost the support of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church! during the day.

In a New Year's message today, the first day of 1967, according to the Julian calendar to which Ethiopia adheres, the Patriarch for the first time made no mention of the Emperor. Instead he asked the blessing of God on the revolutionary movement “led by the armed forces with the support of the Ethiopian people.”

This message contrasted’ markedly with the stand taken by the Patriarch, Abuna Theophilos, on Aug. 18, when he warned the military that the Orthodox Church would not accept new constitutional proposals for making Ethiopia secular state.

In its broadcast attack on the Emperor, the Armed Forces Coordinating Committee repeated previous charges that he had secreted huge sums in foreign banks and investments and had refused to transfer them back to Ethiopia.

It said he had pleaded that he was powerless to do so on the ground that the funds were in the name of his children.

The committee charged that the Emperor had concentrated on promoting his own fame inside and outside the country and together with the officials of his Government had prevented the Ethiopian press, television and radio from reporting the ravages of drought and famine, over the last, 11 years.

The statement advised the Emperor to watch a film on the drought on television tonight.

The military said there was evidence that the Emperor's holdings abroad totaled billions of Ethiopian dollars, which have half the value of American dollars.

Meanwhile, several hundred people gathered outside the gates of the palace of the emperor's daughter, Princess Tenagne Work, as troops in combat uniform took up positions in the gardens.

[A diplomatic source quoted by United Press International said the Princess was taken away by soldiers in what was believed to be the start of a round‐up of members of the royal family.]

The Emperor himself kept to to his palace and was reported to be more isolated than ever before. He did not receive the customary New Year's greetings from the country's dignitaries, many of whom were being held by the army on charges of corruption.

The Orthodox Patriarch's New Year's message asking a blessing on the revolutionary movement and not on the Emperor brought reactions of stunned surprise in this capital.

The message was widely taken to have particular significance because his predecessor had deflated an attempt to take power away from the Emperor in 1960 by strongly supporting the monarchy.

Patriarch Theophilos today likened Ethiopia to a ship that was being steered on a new course. He called on Christians and others to pray that all passengers work for peace brotherhood, cooperation and justice so that the ship might take the right course.

The Patriarch shifted his stand today after having been under considerable pressure to do so from some clergymen in the field. This pressure had been exerted since the early days of the military revolt of last February.

According to some Ethiopian sources, the Emperor himself advised the Patriarch to back the military and abandon him if necessary to save the monarchy. Haile Selassie is reported to have said to a recent visitor:

“Jesus Christ died on the cross. I am ready to suffer and even die if necessary for Ethiopia.”

We are continually improving the quality of our text archives. Please send feedback, error reports,
and suggestions to archive_feedback@nytimes.com.

A version of this archives appears in print on September 12, 1974, on Page 81 of the New York edition with the headline: ETHIOPIA MILITARY ASSAILS EMPEROR. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe